ABOUT
Built for the work.
SoundSmith is a purpose-built recording studio and production facility in Boston. Every decision — acoustic design, equipment, workflow — was made in service of one goal: capturing music with clarity, honesty, and care.
THE PHILOSOPHY
The record is the thing.
SoundSmith exists because the record matters. Not the process, not the equipment, not the aesthetic of the studio — the record. Every decision made here is made in service of that.
That means listening before acting. It means understanding what an artist is trying to make before offering an opinion about how to make it. It means knowing when to contribute and when to stay out of the way.
It also means being honest. About what a recording needs. About what a mix is doing. About what a song requires. The work is better when the conversation is direct.
"Every decision made here is made in service of the record."
THE STUDIO
A purpose-built acoustic environment.
The SoundSmith studio was designed from the ground up as a recording environment. The acoustic treatment, room dimensions, isolation, and monitoring system were all specified for the work — not adapted from a space built for something else.
The result is a room that is quiet, accurate, and comfortable. A room where musicians can hear themselves clearly, where the engineer can make informed decisions, and where the work can proceed without the environment getting in the way.
The equipment — microphones, preamps, converters, monitoring — was chosen for the same reason. Not for its reputation or its cost, but for what it does in this room, on these sessions, for this music.
HOLBROOK GRACIA
Producer, engineer, mixer, guitarist, and educator.
Holbrook Gracia has spent his career at the intersection of performance, production, and teaching. He has worked as a producer and engineer across a wide range of styles and contexts — from intimate acoustic recordings to full-band sessions, from singer-songwriters to working bands.
As a guitarist, he has performed and recorded in a variety of settings — as a session player, a bandleader, and a sideman. That experience as a performer directly informs his work as a producer and engineer. He understands what it is to be on the other side of the glass.
He has been teaching guitar for over two decades, working with students at every level — from complete beginners to working professionals. The teaching practice and the studio practice are not separate. They inform each other.
More about Holbrook's performance and recording work is available at HolbrookMusic.com.
Producer
Pre-production through final mix
Engineer
Tracking, overdubs, and remote sessions
Mixer
In-studio and remote mixing, pre-mastering
Guitarist
Session, performance, and studio work
Educator
Guitar instruction, beginning through advanced
WHAT WE DO
Recording, production, mixing, and instruction.
Ready to talk about your project?
Reach out to start a conversation about your music, your timeline, and how SoundSmith can serve it.